Steve Carell and Paul Rudd -- previous co-stars in such frat-pack comedies as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The 40 Year-Old Virgin -- have teamed up again for the black comedy Dinner for Schmucks, opening Friday.
That the film would be funny, at times hilarious, despite having the potential to be needlessly cruel, is not exactly a surprise given the two actors' proven chemistry in those prior films.
That another person would proceed to steal the film directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) from right underneath them -- in this case New Zealander Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame -- is.
Based on the 1998 French film The Dinner Game (an adaptation of the long-lasting eponymous Francis Veber play), Dinner for Schmucks' plot finds Rudd's financial analyst character Tim angling for a promotion at his private equity firm when his arrogant boss (Canadian Bruce Greenwood) invites him to bring a guest for his monthly "dinner for idiots" in order to score points.
Tim finds the perfect candidate in the form of Carell's sweet loser Barry, a divorced, bespectacled IRS employee with bad teeth and hair, and whose taxidermy hobby extends to making mouse dioramas of famous moments from history ("mousterpieces") as well as painful experiences from his own personal life.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not," says Barry, misquoting John Lennon's Imagine.
To his credit, Carell finds the perfect balance of earnest unsophistication to make Barry a much bigger winner than Tim and his crass workmates would ever imagine.
And Rudd plays well off Carell as he tries to juggle pleasing his boss (Greenwood at his snotty best) with his disapproving art agent girlfriend Julie (fresh-faced French actress Stephanie Szostak), who finds the whole dinner idea "messed up."
It's through Julie that we meet Clement's character Kieran Vollard, a hairy, pretentious artist who merges the human and animals worlds in his shock photography, videos and paintings that have made him the current darling of the art world.
That he spouts unintentionally hilarious philosophy just makes him more delicious.
"There are two things in this world: Wonderful, visceral, sexy sex -- and death; horrible boring death," Kieran tells Tim and Barry when they sneak into his apartment looking for Julie. "Now I'm going to go off and have sex with these two girls before I die."
Another great scene-stealer is Zach Galifianakis as Barry's intense, mind-controlling boss Therman.
It's an abundance of comedy riches and Roach should be commended for his casting choices, many from across the pond: British actress Lucy Punch as Darla, Tim's crazed stalker from a one night stand; Little Britain's David Walliams as Muller, a potential Swiss based investor; and American actress Kristen Schaal as Tim's assistant Susana, also from Flight of the Conchords.
Without giving too much away, the film's opening credits are also worth the price of admission -- so don't be late for Dinner.
